Surprise Me

2017-10-07 10:31:17

About to start work on an authorised biography of the late Louis Stewart. Looking forward to leaving the cave to share conversations with those who have a story to tell…

Irish jazz guitarist Louis Stewart won the Press Award for the Outstanding European Soloist at the 1968 Montreaux Jazz Festival. He toured with Benny Goodman for three years and recorded extensively, including eight albums with George Shearing. Louis also worked with Tubby Hayes and Ronnie Scott in London, before deciding to make Ireland his home again. Having said that, most international jazz performers knew all about him. When yours truly interviewed the American singer Jon Hendricks in Paris some years back, the first question he asked me was, “How’s Louis?”

Louis was also renowned for his deadpan humour. When his son Tony asked him whether he’d prefer to be buried or cremated, his father replied, “Surprise me.” A good title for a book about an improvising jazz musician…

In Print

2017-09-06 13:30:56

New book done, sanity restored. Happy to put my name to it. Here's hoping the literary agent in Manhattan can find a good home for it - may be remembered for this one...

In Print

2016-11-20 07:09:43

Eamonn is (still) writing the final draft of his latest book, due out in late 2017. You may read the opening chapter of 'Drowning The Shamrock' by clicking here…

Mentoring

2016-05-18 21:05:53

This month, Eamonn has been presenting workshops to secondary schools in Co Clare. During the course of sessions - offered through a partnership with Music Generation Clare- participants have used MacBook computers, DJ hardware, Cubase music production software and an iPhone to make their own features, jingles, promos and 15-minute radio programmes.

Once the project is rolled out proper from September 2016, single-day workshops shall be provided to Transition Year students across Ireland.

In Print

2016-04-27 07:43:42

Finally opened a Twitter account - brave new world. Let's see how often Eamonn makes use of it…